CoinWeek News Wire for July 1, 2016

CoinWeek News Wire for July 1, 2016

Brain Food

In 1986, the Canadian government announced it would be introducing a new one dollar coin the following year. This was proposed as a cost saving measure to replace the one dollar banknote. It was argued that banknotes lasted only a couple of years, whereas the coins would last a couple of decades and save millions in printing costs.

There was also pressure from vending machine operators, transit companies and cities in relation to parking meters who wanted to raise prices in coin operated equipment…

In Memoriam

Current Events

On Thursday, June 23, 2016, the 2nd and the 3rd reading of the amendment bill of the German Cultural Property Protection Act took place. Those who have watched the discussion via the internet mainly saw empty benches facing the speakers who voiced their opinions unchallenged. What a non-politician may consider a discussion, though, did not take place…

The Future Is Now

Following a majority vote of the North Carolina Senate, the General Assembly of the state has now approved the amendment of a statutory article – the North Carolina Money Transmitters Act. The move will see the term “virtual currency” added to the existing law…

If implemented into the statute, the new draft will automatically consider bitcoin and other digital currency holdings as private property, making the owner eligible for legal protection against fraud and theft…

… [S]mall change returns on July 1 as part of a currency redenomination that is slicing four zeros off the Belarusian ruble, albeit with no indication that policymakers in Minsk can boost the country’s struggling economy or shore up the new rate…

Clubs & Organizations

The 2,198th meeting of the Rochester Numismatic Association began last week with a joke, actually two jokes.

A numismatic association is an organization for coin collectors, so it’s not surprising that one of the howlers cheerfully told by RNA President Gerald Vaccarella of Brighton turned upon a coin-related pun…

The three coins, which were designed by members of the New York Fire Department and created by Adrenaline Challenge Coins’ CEO Kevin Touhy (who also is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a retired firefighter after 34-years of service), will help raise funds to benefit the FDNY Fire Zone and FDNY Foundation…

Mint News

Reagan honed his oratory style as a Hollywood actor in the 1930s and 1940s, became President of the Screen Actors Guild, and toured the country with General Electric Theater – all long before he sought public office…

After selling out all 10,000 “Firefighters” coins in its 2016 Fine Silver National Heroes series, the Royal Canadian Mint is proud to announce that it has donated an additional $50,000 to the Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal benefitting the Fort McMurray community. The Mint donated $10,000 to the Red Cross when it launched the series on May 16, 2016 and committed to donate $5 from the sale of every firefighter-themed coin as additional support of this charitable campaign…

Also stolen was a large number of other error notes, nationals and celebrity autograph notes including a $50 note autographed by “The Fridge”.

PHONE SCAM CONTINUES

In April the Numismatic Crime Information Center sent out an alert regarding a suspected phone scam by a person who identified himself as Richard Iden. Recently several dealers have called and advised the same suspect is using a different name and phone number.

New Information: Suspect identifies himself now as “John Ward” using the phone number (702) 502-4466. However, caller ID shows the name Richard Iden.

The suspect states that he has a large number of Carson City dollars (135) belonging to his great-great grand father who had worked at the Mint and that his mother had sold some coins to the dealer in the past and she wanted to be sure that he sells the remainder to him when it was time. The suspect wants money sent up front or needs money to help with the shipping.

The story is basically the same but some details may be different in each call.

* * *

Anyone with information about the case above can contact the NCIC’s Doug Davis at (817) 723-7231 or doug@numismaticcrimes.org

Last week, Benjamin reported an armed robbery at his shop to the Ithaca Police Department. On Tuesday, Officer Jamie Williamson said the case is still being investigated. Williamson said officers responded to a report of a robbery June 21 at Benjamin’s shop…

The last of seven suspects charged by Erie police in connection with the theft of more than $14,000 in coins from an eastside residence in January are facing trial after waiving their preliminary hearings on Friday afternoon…

The indictment further alleges on June 11, 2016 Sanders robbed Rockford Coin and Stamps, 4402 Center Ter., Rockford, Ill. while using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence and that he obtained $500 and a Remington shotgun from Rockford Coin and Stamps employees during that robbery…

After California voters approved Proposition 47, Mr. Maynarich petitioned the court to recall his conviction and reduce it to a misdemeanor. He argued that Proposition 47 amended Penal Code Section 473 to define the punishment for forgery of, among other things, a bank bill or note as a misdemeanor…

Banknote News

The national campaign reminding Swedes to use or exchange these notes before July 1 was widespread, but Central Bank (Riksbanken) reported that about two billion kronor in these denominations were still in circulation as the Thursday night deadline drew near…

The Bank of England’s first polymer note, The New Fiver, will be issued from 13 September 2016. This film shows how the new £5 note is printed by De La Rue at the Bank of England printworks in Loughton, Essex…

New banknotes with denomination of 200 and 2,000 rubles will be in circulation in late 2017, Chief of Russia’s Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina told a press conference held at the TASS news agency on June 28…

Museums & Exhibits

The second prize, worth 1,000 euros, was awarded to the project team ‘Corpus Nummorum Thracorum’, a cooperation between the Münzkabinett Berlin and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW)…

The Historic New Orleans Collection has more than 200 old notes and coins on display for its “Money! Money! Money!” exhibit in the Williams Research Center at 410 Chartres St. The free exhibit, running through Oct. 29, includes an interactive bingo-style dollar hunt…

The event will build on the success of the last conference in Cape Town two years ago. The conference has changed its name from African Banknote Conference to African Currency Forum – but it will once again focus on improving the security and cost-effectiveness of banknotes, as well as ID and other secure documents…